On the other end of the call, Gou Feng blinked.
The surprise lasted only a moment before something warmth settled quietly in his chest.
It was such a simple sentence, yet somehow it made him happy.
Perhaps because it reminded him of the past. Back when Hei Bao would personally take him everywhere.
Back when he never had to wonder whether the man would show up or not.
"...Okay." his reply came softer than before.
The call ended shortly afterward.
Hei Bao lowered his phone, and moments later his phone buzzed.
Gou Feng had sent the location.
He glanced at it briefly before slipping the device back into his pocket.
The young man's voice still bothered him.
For a moment, he considered calling back, and forwardly asked Gou Feng about it again, but in the end, he dismissed it.
They would see each other soon enough.
He could ask then.
Still, the thought of Gou Feng refusing to answer him a minute ago kept replaying in his mind.
"Just what has that kid been doing?"
Hei Bao exhaled sharply.
"Is he sick?"
Concern flickered across his face, rare, but genuine.
Has he been assigning too much work to the kid lately?
The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. Not at Gou Feng, at himself.
Over the years, that kid had become more than an employee to him.
More than an apprentice, more than someone connected to him through a blood bond.
Somewhere along the way, that child he had rescued had quietly become an irreplaceable part of his life.
That thought made him uncomfortable, but he can't deny it, for it was the truth.
That was why he kept Gou Feng close.
Why he assigned him work he could personally oversee.
Why he made certain no danger ever got too close to him.
He had even crafted a necklace with his own hands, sealing it with a blessing written in his blood years ago.
As long as Gou Feng wore it, vampires and other supernatural creatures would think twice before laying a hand on him.
Few people received such protection.
That young man probably never even realized how much effort had gone into it.
Hei Bao preferred it that way. He wasn't doing any of this because Gou Feng belonged to him.
Of course not. He was simply protecting that kid.
After all, if Gou Feng died, the blood bond would affect him as well.
That was all. Wasn't it?
Hei Bao's brows furrowed.
What a stupid question. Of course, that was all.
If that wasn't all, then what was it?
The thought annoyed him to the core.
He clicked his tongue and pushed the question aside before it could take root. Then he headed for the elevator without another delay.
Whatever was wrong with that kid, he would find out soon enough.
That child better be ready to tell the truth, as he is a kind of being who doesn't easily tolerate lies.
The restaurant was lively. Steam rose from bubbling pots of shabu-shabu while trays of freshly grilled meat disappeared one after another under Cheung Qi's enthusiastic appetite.
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan were arguing over the last slice of marinated beef.
Everything was normal, except for Gou Feng.
The young man sat quietly among them, his chopsticks resting loosely in his hand.
His gaze was unfocused, lowered, but not on the food in front of him.
It looked like he had been pulled into something heavier in his own mind.
Across from him, Huan Zhan, currently working on what might have been his tenth piece of grilled pork, paused mid-bite as he noticed him spacing out quite far too long.
He swallowed the food he was munching on and leaned forward slightly.
"A-Feng," he called casually,
"Still have a headache?"
The question immediately drew everyone's attention.
Gou Feng blinked, he looked as though he had only just returned to reality, then he smiled.
Earlier that morning, after they arrived at the place where Shen Jiu had been waiting.
Gou Feng immediately told his two best friends that they should postpone their plans for the time being, confessing that he actually is not feeling well, and that he has a headache.
Seeing that he looked exhausted, neither Shen Jiu nor Huan Zhan argued. They simply nodded and headed back to their dormitory to freshen up and prepare for the day's classes.
Their morning passed uneventfully, and by afternoon, the three of them had resumed their usual routine.
They attended their scheduled university lectures, spent several hours at sports club training, and, as promised, met up with Cheung Qi afterward.
For a while, Gou Feng had actually felt much better.
The headache had almost completely disappeared.
Yet, sometime after training ended, the dull ache had returned without warning.
Did I push myself too hard during practice?
That was the only explanation he could think of.
Not wanting the others to worry, he offered an assuring expression.
"...A little."
He lightly rubbed one temple before lowering his hand.
"Don't worry. It's still tolerable."
Cheung Qi paused mid-bite, even Shen Jiu looked up from his bowl.
Both of them narrowed their eyes at him. Huan Zhan wasn't convinced either.
Neither of them missed the untouched bowl of rice sitting in front of him.
The rice had long gone cold. In fact, Gou Feng had barely eaten anything since they arrived.
Cheung Qi slowly lowered his chopsticks.
"A-Feng. If you're not feeling well, just say so. Don't force yourself."
Gou Feng immediately shook his head.
"I'm really alright."
Cheung Qi ignored the answer entirely. His eyes swept over the young man's face.
Only now did he notice the faint shadows beneath Gou Feng's eyes.
His complexion looked paler than usual, and despite the smile, he seemed tired.
"You should head back to the dorm and rest." Cheung Qi asked.
"You can join us some other time."
Warmth flickered in Gou Feng's eyes. He genuinely appreciated the concern, but the pain is truly not too much for him to tolerate. At least, that's what he told himself.
Besides, how could he leave now?
It had been a long time since everyone had gathered together like this, and their pact leader was coming.
Opportunities like this don't happen often. Missing it over a mere headache felt wasteful.
He could endure it. The discomfort would pass eventually.
With that thought, Gou Feng offered them a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Chueng-Ge, I'm truly fine."
His answer did little to reassure anyone around him.
Cheung Qi, who still thinks he should just go back and rest, could not help but think deeply.
Could their sports training and the disposal of Fei Nian's corpse have exhausted him that much?
It didn't seem likely.
Fei Nian couldn't have weighed that much, and they have always done this sports club training ever since he could remember.
They had gone through the same routine countless times before.
So why did he seem so drained today?
It's so unlike him.
Just as he opened his mouth to ask, a familiar voice sounded behind them.
"Looks like I arrived at the right time."
Everyone turned, and saw Hei Bao standing a few steps away.
Cheung Qi's face immediately lit up.
Whatever he had been thinking about moments ago vanished from his mind.
"Well, well. This is a surprise."
He stood and strode over, grinning as he patted his elder cousin's shoulder.
"Be honest. Did you put a tracker on my vehicle?"
Hei Bao didn't reply and didn't even spare him a glance.
Ignoring the question entirely, he walked toward the table, and sat on the empty seat beside Gou Feng.
The young man then greeted him with a small smile.
"Ge."
Hei Bao nodded.
His gaze lingered at him. Longer than usual, and he noticed what the others had noticed.
The faint exhaustion beneath the young man's eyes.
The slight sluggishness in his movements. The untouched food, and the faint crease appeared between his brows.
"Have you been sleeping well lately?"
The entire table froze, except for Cheung Qi, who resumed eating his food again, without even glancing towards the two young men who now looked like they had seen a ghost.
Shen Jiu nearly dropped his chopsticks, while beside him, Huan Zhan choked on a piece of pork he had just chewed on.
"Cough!"
This immediately fumbled for his cup of water.
Cheung Qi who finally bothered to check what was going on burst out laughing, before saying.
"Easy there."
He smacked Huan Zhan firmly on the back.
"Don't die. We just got here."
The young man didn't mind him, and continued taking several hurried gulps of water.
Neither he nor Shen Jiu paid any attention to him afterward. Instead, both of their gazes remained fixed on Hei Bao.
The concern in their Pact Leader's voice hadn't been their imagination.
It was real, very real.
In all the years they had known Hei Bao, they had never once heard him speak with such unmistakable gentleness.
This was the same man who could make elite Lycan guards break into a cold sweat with nothing more than a single glance.
Yet just now. His voice had been filled with genuine concern.
Of course, they knew Hei Bao's relationship with Gou Feng.
Everyone within the clan knew that Hei Bao had been the one who rescued him, raised him, and watched him grow.
That part wasn't surprising. What surprised them was their pact leader sounding a totally different
person right now.
They had never witnessed Hei Bao speak to anyone with such quiet patience and tenderness before.